


you don't have to try so hard to hurt me (don't worry I been thinking bout you too)

by nnegan13



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Dorks in Love, F/M, Kissing, Pre-Relationship, Season 1, and would've definitely made out or at least kissed before new years, basically I decided that while both of them a very much cinnamon rolls, heavily un-betaed, more characters will be in this but I'm just lazy atm, they're also very much sinnamon rolls, well they don't realize it yet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-13
Updated: 2017-06-17
Packaged: 2018-10-18 14:32:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10618905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nnegan13/pseuds/nnegan13
Summary: When an explosion rocked into their ears, she thought her heart had beat so fast it burst.The girl’s voice in her head was her second clue back into reality: she was on a mission. Now was not the time for making out with the pretty-faced boy even if the brush of his thumbs against her ribcage and the taste of him in her mouth was all she could think about.When the girl’s voice in her head turned out to be M’gann and SuperFreak became Superboy and they had to find Aqualad before this fucking desert dehydrated him enough to kill him, Artemis put the Wally West From the Past However Long They Spent Together into a box labeled Artemis Crock You Are The Stupidest Shit On The Planet to deal with him later.Later would not include making out with him some more underneath the blankets of one of their beds back at the Cave no matter how much the part of her brain that was entirely horny teenage girl wanted her too.





	1. Bereft aka Sharing an Apple with your Hot, Fellow Amnesiac is Much Scarier than being Attacked by SuperFreak

**Author's Note:**

> if you couldn't already tell, this is a 5+1. more accurately, Five Times Wally West and Artemis Crock Kissed Before They Were Together and the One Time They Got Caught. it was the working title for a bit lol 
> 
> the actual title comes from "Emoji of a Wave" by John Mayer. I do not in any way own these characters I just really want them to smush their faces together a whole bunch. 
> 
> I'm gonna add more character tags and what not as this thing progresses. I would add them now, but you see I only have the one chapter written so.... 
> 
> also this is super un-betaed so if you see any grammar/characterization/what not that sucks just hit me up in the comments. but don't actually hit me too hard cuz this is my first fic and yeah

Waking up disoriented in a cabin to calls of “hey, beautiful, wake up,” was not what Artemis Crock expected of her quiet Saturday morning. Sure, the kid had a nice voice and a pretty face but he and his Kid-Flash-Gone-Dark suit didn’t exactly offer up the why of the situation. Specifically, why she was waking up to a cute boy with a nicer-than-she-wanted-to-admit voice calling her beautiful in a cabin in the middle of what she assumed was hell on earth because of how hot it was. 

The bow and arrow was a little reassuring, her Green Arrow fangirl costume was less, and the fact that they left the cabin seconds before it was blown to smithereens made her scared beyond all comprehension. Not that she was about to let this Kid Flash imposter know that, but to say that her heartbeat slowed from Highly Concerning to Less Concerning But Still Worth Worrying About when he decided to whisk them away from the SuperFreak (as he so kindly put it) wouldn’t be a lie. 

The fact that he could also hold a conversation while running faster than any vehicle she’d ever been in before ever was a little unbelievable, but it was also kind of hot so she went along with it. “What’s this about you killing me?” 

“My dad’s psychotic that’s what,” she replied, looking over his shoulder at the dark plume blooming behind them. Though it was still growing in size, it shrank as he ran them faster and faster away. 

“And who, exactly, is this mysterious father figure?” His hand shifted slightly under her knees to hold her better and she told herself his handprint only burned into her thigh because physical contact in the blazing sun was the worst thing that could ever happen to someone. Ditto for the fingers wrapped around her ribs. 

“Someone you better hope you never meet.” 

“I know this is a little superficial considering I’m carrying you across the desert, but you don’t happen to have his same murderous tendencies, right?” He didn’t sound as nervous as his question might have suggested, more amused than anything, really, and she turned back to look at his profile against the racing sand dunes. He had a nice, sharp jawline and the red-hair-red-goggles look really worked for him. 

She hummed a little, lips pressing together as she decided whether or not she could joke with him. He seemed to have a similar sense of humor to hers, as dry as this desert, and was rather smart, so she went for it. “No, but the doctors say females don’t fully mature until they’re eighteen so there’s still time for it to settle in.” 

“Hah. Funny,” he said dryly, managing a quick, sharp glare in her direction before looking back at the miles of sand in front of them. “That murderbot gene of yours doesn’t have a GPS in it, does it? You know, for tracking victims and such.” 

“If only the universe could be that kind.” She looked at the desert zooming away in front of them. There was a tiny patch of shade that might just save her scalp from burning through her skull to her brain and she pointed at it. “That doesn’t look too far, does it? We can stop there and let you rest for a bit and try to figure out what in the fuck is going on.” 

“Sounds like a plan.” 

Said piece of shade did stop her scalp from burning through her skull to her brain, but did little else. He, she’d probably have to ask his name one of these days (and she really hoped it wouldn’t stretch into days), flopped on his back in the sand dramatically after setting her down. She raised an eyebrow at him and nudged his booted foot with hers. “You’re not dying on me right? Because, unlike you, I have no superspeed to get me out of this place.” 

She sat in the sand next to him, setting down her bow and pulling off her quiver. Hopefully, she stored snacks in the bottom, earlier, before she left for this hellhole. “Hey.” 

She hummed a little and looked over at him. He had his arm over his eyes and the leg farther away from her propped up on one foot. Again, dramatic as fuck. “I just want you to know there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.” 

She hummed again, carefully pulling the arrows out of her quiver before looking down at the bottom for any scrap of food she might’ve hidden there. 

“Don’t forget me, okay?” 

“Uh-huh.” It was non-committal and he knew it, softly hitting her with the hand laying in the sand next to her knee. She tipped her quiver upside down and an apple tumbled into her palm. “Hey.” 

“Can’t talk, I just went into the light.” 

“This is actually important.” 

“On a scale of one to Batman inducting me to the Justice League?” 

“It’s about a seven,” she replied, a little distracted with the apple. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to share with him, but running non-stop at such high speeds for hours at a time while holding another person probably warranted half the apple. She could even be negotiated to three-quarters if he really charmed her. 

“I can come back from the dead for a seven.” His arm thumped off his head into the sand and he propped himself up on his palms. She held the apple out for his inspection. He eyed it and then her suspiciously, no doubt remembering the “my dad wants me to kill you bit” from earlier. 

“It’s not poisoned, I promise.” He raised an eyebrow at her. She waved it in front of his face impatiently. “Just break it in half and I’ll show you.” 

He grudgingly took the apple from her and after a brief second of her watching his biceps flex slightly he held the two halves out to her. She took them both, holding one for him once he got it through his thick skull that she wasn’t trying to kill him, and bit into the other. She chewed, swallowed, and stared expectantly at him. He stared right back. There was apple juice on her lips and she tried not to be too pleased as his eyes followed her tongue across them. “See, no poison.” 

He hummed noncommittally like she did before but held his hand out for his half. She placed it in his open palm and when her hand zinged where it brushed against his she turned to watch the heat waver on the desert sand. His first bite was a loud crunch that drew her attention back immediately and it was her turn to watch his tongue trace along his lips. She looked back to the desert and took another bite to sooth her suddenly dry mouth. 

After a brief interlude consisting of munching entirely in silence, Kid Flash (she reluctantly decided to call him that until she knew his name) tossed his half of the apple core on the ground a few feet in front of them. He stood and offered her his hand despite the quarter of an apple she still clutched in hers. It seemed like they would be going whether or not she was finished. 

A half hour into their run she held it out in front of him. “Wanna bite?” 

She told herself it was because she wasn’t hungry, not that he was slowing down and looked a little fatigued. She knew in the Grand Scheme of Things that a quarter of an apple really wouldn’t make a difference to a speedster, but it made her feel better, offering it up. He looked at her, an impressive feat considering how fast he was running but she guessed it was kind of easy seeing as they (well him) were wandering aimlessly through the desert with no obstacles of any kind in sight, and nodded after a moment. The only logical thing for her to do was hand feed it to him, right? His hands were a little occupied at the moment, you know, carrying her across the desert, so the least she could do was help him out. 

She hesitated for only a moment before pressing the apple to his lips, watching with far too much focus as his teeth cut through the apple and began chewing as she pulled her hand away. Her heart beat like this was Much Scarier™ than SuperFreak from earlier and in some ways it was. Kid Flash wasn’t like any of the boys she had met before, not at her old school and certainly not at Gotham Academy. He was smart, witty, could keep up with her snark without missing a beat. Not to mention the whole superhero thing. 

She swallowed thickly and held the apple up to his mouth so he could take another bite. She didn’t meet his eyes when he looked over at her, instead looking out at the desert for another shady spot to stop in later. Hopefully her blush passed as a sunburn. She focused so hard on finding that new spot that she didn’t realize Kid Flash was still watching her, was still watching as she absentmindedly bit off the apple from the same spot he had, was still watching as she licked the juice off her lips again. When she turned back to offer him the apple again he was biting his lip fiercely and she ignored the urge to bite it herself. 

Eventually, between the two of them, but mostly Kid Flash, they reached the last nubbin of apple. She held it between her thumb and forefinger, watching his mouth with more concentration than was necessary. His teeth grazed her skin when he took it from her and his lips accidentally closed around her fingertip before she rapidly pulled her hand back to her body, like he burned her. He might as well have, a jolt of electricity wound its way from her fingertip to spread warmly in her chest. His stupid tongue darted out across his lip again and she didn’t even try to deny how much she wanted to kiss him. 

After an awkward second of sitting still in his arms, Artemis looked back out across the desert to find that shady spot she had been searching for. Maybe it was her imagination, but she thought he sped up a little eagerly once she pointed it out to him. 

Upon their arrival, he set her on her feet a lot more gently than the first time, a hand lingering on her back. “So, uh, I was maybe thinking…” 

She looked up at him as he pulled his goggles off his eyes and reached her hand up to brush a little sand off the tips of his hair. Almost immediately she regretted it because now she thought only of twining her fingers through his soft, soft hair while pulling his head back so she could kiss his neck. Not the mental picture she really needed right at the moment, no matter how much she wanted it. 

Kid Flash must have noticed her sudden change in thought because he took her hand as she pulled it back from his hair. Settling in on the ground at her feet, he looked up at her with a half grin. Her breath caught in her throat. “Is this okay?” 

“Well,” she started as he tugged on her hand until she slowly began to sit. “If it’s going to end how I think it is, then yes.” 

He had really nice hands. She focused on that while he (and her subconscious, if she was telling the truth) guided her down until she was sitting on his lap, straddling him. Her other hand stole up to his cheek, pulling his head down until their foreheads were practically touching. He let out a breathy laugh that washed over her face and she almost kissed him right then and there. “Is this okay?”

She didn’t trust her voice not to betray her so she nodded instead. He let go of her hand only to place his on her back and nudge her just a little closer. “So this might not be the right time to ask, but you have a name, right?” 

She nodded again, looking between his grass green eyes and the freckles dotting his cheeks. Overwhelmed with the need to count them and trace constellations in them, she turned her eyes back to his. He was smiling a little. “Wanna tell me?” 

“Depends on whether you’ll tell me yours.” Her voice came out low and husky and she blushed only a little bit. The fingers on her back flexed a little and she brushed her thumb across his cheek. He nodded without the hesitation both of them should’ve expected from a superhero. She couldn’t judge though; right after repeating his name for herself, her name was the second thing on her tongue. 

“Wally.” 

She mumbled it a few times as his knees bent behind her back and he leaned up into her. Their lips brushed as she spoke but she told herself that she wouldn’t kiss him until he knew her name. 

“Artemis.” 

“That’s really pretty, Artemis,” he said and then his mouth was covering hers. 

Kid Flash - Wally, she thought warmly - was a really good kisser. She wasn’t surprised. After letting their lips slide over and over each other for a few really good minutes, he stroked that stupid tongue of his across her bottom lip and she groaned open mouthed into him. He smiled against her lips and she surged forward, knocking him into the dune behind them, determined to kiss him until she could smile at how dumbfounded he was. 

A huff of air left him as he hit the dune and she took the opportunity to kiss across his face and down the edge of his suit to suck at his jaw. The breathy moan that slid down her spine was nothing compared to the feeling of the fingerpads on his suit stealing around her back before settling, one low, brushing against the waistband of her pants, and the other slipping under the bottom of her top. Having his hands practically dipping into her clothes left her hot and bothered enough to fulfill her previous wish. She unlatched her mouth from his jaw long enough to appreciate the bright mark left in front of his ear and pull the mask/hood of his suit off his face so she could reach the rest of his neck. 

As she wound her fingers through his hair and kissed the hollow of his throat, he groaned low enough she felt it tingle against her lips. Skipping the rest of his neck to enjoy his mouth again, she found that, despite being on a mission with a total stranger, she was calm for the first time in what felt like months. Maybe even years. So when Wally’s fingers abandoned their exploration of her back to push her mask away from her face, she complied, watching him with hooded lids as he gave her a wry smile before kissing down the side of her cheek to mouth at her pulse point. 

When an explosion rocked into their ears, she thought her heart had beat so fast it burst. 

The girl’s voice in her head was her second clue back into reality: she was on a mission. Now was not the time for making out with the pretty-faced boy even if the brush of his thumbs against her ribcage and the taste of him in her mouth (the apples from earlier mixed with something like cinnamon) was all she could think about. 

When the girl’s voice in her head turned out to be M’gann and SuperFreak became Superboy and they had to find Aqualad before this fucking desert dehydrated him enough to kill him, Artemis put the Wally West From the Past However Long They Spent Together into a box labeled Artemis Crock You Are The Stupidest Shit On The Planet to deal with him later. 

Later would not include making out with him some more underneath the blankets of one of their beds back at the Cave no matter how much the part of her brain that was entirely horny teenage girl wanted her too. 

Then, following the Wally West From the Past Six Months into the Bialyan desert to fight the little assholes that decided blowing her and Wally West From the Past However Long They Spent Together into a billion little pieces was number one on their priority list. Because if they hadn’t, she might’ve kissed Wally West From the Past Six Months when she thought he was Wally West From the Past However Long They Spent Together for long enough not to be pissed off once their memories were restored. 

The prospect wasn’t as worrying as it would’ve been twenty-four hours ago because tolerating Wally West wasn’t as impossible as it had been twenty-four hours ago.


	2. Two of the Rules of Being A Superhero Discussed and Dismissed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rule number one of being a superhero, Wally thought absently as Artemis cupped his cheek and tried to stick her tongue in his mouth in such a way they both had to stop because laughing and kissing was really difficult, you will be alone always, ‘cause finding someone that understands, actually understands, what this is is like finding a needle in a haystack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so this was first angry and then angsty and then fluffy so I apologize for the emotional rollercoaster. also from Wally's POV so if its weird hit me up in the comments. also I'm bad at switching POVs (and it's not even like I'm switching them cuz I like writing in the third person FIGHT ME) so if artemis's and Wally's POVs sound similar I'm sorry
> 
> ok also there's discussion of panic attacks and I've personally never had one so if I've got it all wrong please let me know! it's really brief and no one actually has a panic attack they just talk about it

When he got his memories back, Wally West knew he was fucked. Because hating the hot girl was one thing, but making out with the aforementioned hot girl whilst under the influence of amnesia and then having your subconscious go out and decide it likes her marginally more than should be expected after making out with someone (especially when that someone is your sworn nemesis for life) is another. 

They danced around it for a few days (Artemis trying to determine exactly when Later would be) until Wally decided that longing (was that the right word for awkward staring and blushing when they were caught?) glances at each other whenever they were in the Cave was Too Much and they should address the elephant in the room. 

Artemis decided that the elephant in the room was named Clarence and that Clarence’s favorite food was bananas and that until they could find someway to bypass all laws of time and space and the multiverse to find the dimension in which Clarence lived and give him some bananas, Clarence wouldn’t stand for them to talk about him. And Artemis wasn’t about to cross Clarence.

Yes, Artemis Crock, famed archer, famed member of the Team, the girl responsible for saving his ass from Ivo’s power-stealing murderbot, the girl who could best everyone on the Team at air hockey upside down (that was another story), told this to his face like it wasn’t complete insanity. 

Needless to say, his growing list of concerns now included how attractive she was in that moment. 

His type was weirdo, that’s for sure. Remember the whole “ninja boyfriend” thing? 

Sadly, their discussion of Clarence ended indecisively because Artemis was mad at him for kissing her in the first place and got even angrier when he showed her the purpling hickey on his jaw and reported harrowing investigation from The Guys (mainly Robin, but if he said that he’d be primed for teasing from her). 

“There’s this thing called makeup Wally!” 

“Excuse you.” Here he had made the mistake of gesturing to himself and saying, “I’m a man.” 

She grit her teeth at him and he tried not to do the same to her mostly because her reasoning would lead him down another dark path of questioning from Robin. “Okay, one: is your concept of masculinity really so fragile that you wouldn’t even wear makeup over fear of looking too much like a girl? And two: because this is about your frail masculinity, if the spectrum of ‘manhood’ was here at Mount Justice being as masculine as you could possibly get and the Watchtower was the most feminine of all femininity, you’d be somewhere around Jupiter!” 

They stood nose to nose and he swore her mouth turned up at the corners as they stared each other down. Probably because his eyes were shaking from him trying to keep them on her eyes instead of her lips. They were really nice lips, plush and soft (he knew from experience) and very kissable (also from experience) and entirely capable of distracting him from what she had just said. Not that that just happened, no, he heard exactly what she just said and was, frankly, surprised that she’d stoop to the masculinity spectrum just to stab at him, but if he brought that up then they’d be arguing even more and the chances of them kissing and making up (and out) would get slimmer and slimmer. 

And there were maybe two things he wanted to do more than kiss Artemis Crock again. (Actually only one, getting inducted into the Justice League but he could only dream of that happening. The whole Artemis Thing™ was a lot more likely to happen and, if he’s being really honest here, the one of the two he really wants to happen.)

So he said nothing, half-feigning indignation at her comment before stalking off, muttering half veiled threats about breaking the arrow of hers (that he just bought a stand for, by the way!) he kept on the trophy shelf to which she responded with a shriek-groan and a muffled slamming of her door. He tried not to be disappointed as he retreated to his room. 

When Robin’s comm didn’t cut off his ear and actually started working, his heart pounded so much at hearing Artemis grumble loudly in the background that he thought he might cry. It’d be a crime if you never got to kiss her again, he told himself, not because you’re actually concerned for her well being and might fall apart if she dies or anything. 

She disappeared out of the hangar again, Robin floating ominously in a tower of water, and he hoped that it wouldn’t be her body he’d see next. Her breathing was heaving in the comm and he shot a glare at Superboy, specifically a If You Repeat Anything You’re About To Hear You’re A Dead Man glare. Superboy just glared back. 

“Artemis.”

“Go away Wally.” 

“Kinda can’t, definitely stuck, possibly drowning soon.” 

“Wally I said go away!” his heart beat even faster now, if that was possible. He really could not have her dying on him now. 

“Artemis I’m not going anywhere. But you are, get up and get in here.” 

“Wally West, you absolute asshat, shut up!” her voice was choked and it almost killed him but he knew he had to keep riling her up, it was the only way to get her to move. “Can’t you tell when someone is having a panic attack?” 

“Yeah,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady so that his hypocrisy would get her back on her feet. “So stop panicking and get out here.” 

“Insensitive little shit.” she was laughing now, but not the kind that made his mind a little dizzy, the kind that he knew meant trouble. “Our rooms are right next to each other, you think I can’t hear you after missions? Breathing so hard through your teeth you think you might knock them loose? Hand shaking so much that anything you touch starts rattling?” 

It hurt, what she was saying, but he could heart the scrape of her suit against the metal pipes and let her keep going, muttering a warning, agitated, “Artemis,” so she would know it was working. 

“Stop talking about panic attacks, Wally, when you’re too scared to even acknowledge yours outside the comfort of your own space.” And then there was enough bumping and rattling through the comm his breath caught in his throat. The rising tide tickled his Adam’s apple. All he could think about was Artemis and whatever airshaft she just tumbled down. 

“Artemis!” He was loud enough that the Reds snapped their heads to glare their inhuman stares down at him (looking back he would note that their expressions didn’t change but he could tell that they were debating if killing him now was worth the risk of the extra time necessary to find Artemis after she realized they were all dead) and he was so riled up that he glared back. 

“Wally West you may be an insensitive douchecanoe but sometimes you have your priorities straight.” 

He laughed, a low chuckle that skimmed the surface of the water almost as soon as it escaped his mouth. He swallowed, mouth ironically dry, and looked away from the Reds. “Douchecanoe is a new one.” 

The hangar doors opened again. “I surrender. Stop the clock,” tore through him as deadly as anything Robin could throw and the water was everywhere. It tasted like salt in his mouth and his nose and his ears and all he wanted was the taste of Artemis instead of all this salt. 

Later, once they’ve all recovered and he’d eaten enough microwave burritos (seven (7)) to even approach the idea of putting salt on any food item ever again, he stared up at the ceiling of his bedroom in an attempt to distract himself from the feeling of water rushing into his mouth. The texture on the ceiling formed shapes and he tried to tie an image to each one. Fruitfully. 

After several minutes, a knock rang out. Just one and for a moment he thought he imagined it. Then there was another and he sat up, staring at the door. If it was Artemis coming to talk about Clarence the fucking Elephant again he might scream. He walked to the door, almost stumbling, almost tripping, until he managed to wrestle it open and lean against the doorjamb. Artemis stood there, hair escaping her ponytail and dressed in her suit still, but her mask was gone. It seemed fitting, her there in the only form she wished to be. He wanted to ask her why she hadn’t changed yet, but her mouth gaped open and shut like a fish a few times and she pushed him into his room. The door shut with a click. They were alone. 

“I - I just need - ” she cut herself off and shoved the hair sticking to her forehead off her face. She paced as he sat back on his bed, resuming his position from earlier. Besides their harsh breathing, the room was silent. He hated it. 

It went on for several minutes and he told himself he wouldn’t go after her if she left. Most definitely not. His eyes closed and his hands fisted on his forehead. Artemis sat on the bed next to him and, after a pause, laid down. Her hand brushed his hip and he reached down to snake his fingers between hers. She said nothing, turning her face and pressing her nose into his shoulder. 

“I’m sorry about what I said earlier,” she mumbled later (hours later, it felt like). He didn’t know if he was asleep or awake but she kept talking before he could figure it out. “I’m not going to say I didn’t mean it, because I did. You were being an insensitive dipwad.” 

He laughed and she squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry that it hurt you.” 

They were both silent again and the blankets rustled as she rolled onto her side. “I was so scared, Wally.” 

A shaky breath slipped past his lips and he opened his eyes again. The motion sensor lights in his room had clicked off a long time ago and he ignored the contented feeling settled under his ribcage after spending what felt like hours here laying with her. He turned his head to look at her. “Me too.” 

Her eyelids were a reddish purple, matching the dark circles at the corners of her eyes. They didn’t open as she spoke again. “Why are we so fucked up, Wally?” 

He laughed again and the wash of his breath across her face had her eyes opening to an agitated squint. They softened after a moment and his mouth was suddenly dry. “‘Cause we’re superheroes.” 

“It can’t be that simple.” 

“I think it is,” he said. “Rule number forty three of being a superhero: the hero must make terribly hard decisions at the risk of losing all of their loved ones and then live with the consequences. Didn’t you read the handbook, Arty?” 

She smacked his shoulder lightly but was smiling. He thought he heard a low hum that passed as a laugh and let his own mouth turn up at the corners. “Musta missed that one, KF.” 

They both quieted and she pursed her lips, pressing them absentmindedly into his shoulder as she thought. 

“Thank you.” 

Her gaze flicked from some undetermined point up to his face and her eyebrows scrunched together and she turned her head up to speak. “For what?”

“Apologizing,” he said, averting his gaze back to the plaster shapes on the ceiling. The intensity of her gaze was overwhelming and he didn’t like what it was doing to his heart. “Most people wouldn’t have done that. So, thanks.” 

She hummed in response and, even though it was only her chin touching his shoulder still, it rattled through his bones enough to stir up the contentment in his chest to something a little more heated. His grip on her hand tightened minisculely but she noticed (she always noticed every little (stupid) thing he did) and pulled their clasped hands up to rest next to her chest. Her heart. 

Rolling to his side, they were nose to nose, now. The familiar need to kiss her rose in him again and he licked his lips. Tried not to smile when her eyes followed the movement of his tongue. Failed. 

She scooted maybe an inch closer to him and their torsos were pressed up against one another. Their clasped hands rested against her sternum. He slipped his free hand across her waist until he could splay his palm against her back. She traced a finger along the line of his jaw and hooked her knee over his to run her toes along the back of his calf. “Wally?” 

That heat stirred in his heart again. “Yeah?” 

“Can I kiss you?” 

“Hmmm,” he mumbled playfully. “Maybe just this once. We might upset Clarence.” 

She laughed now, smile breaking slowly across her face as she leaned more into him. “Of course you would bring that up now.” 

And then they were kissing. 

This time was slow and sweet and comforting. There was no sense of urgency or danger or competition like in Bialya. They were kissing and kissing and kissing just for the closeness of it, the feeling of being with someone, of quenching the growing loneliness that came with the job. 

(Rule number one of being a superhero, Wally thought absently as Artemis cupped his cheek and tried to stick her tongue in his mouth in such a way they both had to stop because laughing and kissing was really difficult, you will be alone always, ‘cause finding someone that understands, actually understands, what this is is like finding a needle in a haystack.) 

He kept his hand firmly on her back and didn’t let it move. Being a horny teenager wasn’t going to get in the way of this moment of togetherness they were having. His mouth traveled down her neck simply for the sake of feeling its presence, the space it took up, tasting her sweat to know that salt would not haunt his nights. 

Her leg hooked around his hips now but, still, only her foot moved along the back of his thighs, knees, calves. Their lips pulled at one another’s and if he could stay like this forever, with her, it would maybe be enough. Maybe. 

They kept at it for a while until he pulled away, one last drag off her lower lip, and pressed his mouth to her forehead instead of to hers again. She tucked her head under his chin after a moment, forehead right under his collarbones, and slipped her hand off his cheek to curl under his arm and rest between his shoulderblades. “Thanks for this, Wally.” 

He chuckled and watched the stray hairs on her head wave in the air. “I think that’s the first time someone has ever thanked me for kissing them.” 

“It’ll probably be the last, too.” 

She laughed too and it shook through his entire body. Their hands were still sitting between their chests. He wiggled his fingers between hers and she loosened her hold enough that he could snake his hand out to settle against her back with his other one. She pressed her now empty hand to his chest and his heart swelled at the feeling of her palms making a Wally’s Heart sandwich. 

For some reason his brain thought it was a good idea to repeat Rule Number One of Being A Superhero out loud to her. 

“Wally, you could just burn the haystack.” 

“I think you’re right, Arty.” The heat in his heart had settled back into contentment and he tried not to think about her inevitable leaving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know when I'm going to be updating this. inspiration for this hits at different times and I'm working on other fanfics for other fandoms as well as making my own content and I'm trying to figure out what classes I'm taking next yeah (ahh college) so please forgive me for my sporadic updating. 
> 
> suggestions and such are much appreciated!! 
> 
> also thanks to all of you that commented and gave kudos, it's really motivating (despite what this looks like) when people do that so thank you!!!

**Author's Note:**

> heyo so if you have any suggestions/episodes from season one that you think would be perfect for aforementioned face-smushing just let me know 
> 
> my plan is (roughly) to go: Homefront, Failsafe, Coldhearted, Usual Suspects, and then something before Auld Acquaintance but after Usual Suspects for the one time they got caught part, but it's kind of subject to change 
> 
> I don't really know when I'll be updating this as AP tests and finals and what not are coming up so yeah 
> 
> thanks for reading!


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